An Embodiment of Souls

by Julia Laurel

As the daughter of a foreign ambassador, Rissa hoped living abroad would protect her from home’s puritanical customs where women are forbidden to walk at night or use magic except to support a necromancer’s dual identity. Alek, the youngest prince of the Memric Isle, hasn’t yet taken his Second body. Fearing he’ll be accused of sin and his body claimed as a Second himself, Alek lives piously while studying abroad, even though he’s distracted by magic—and his handsome roommate, Gable. When Alek meets Rissa by chance, his quiet life is thrown into chaos. One of Rissa’s fathers has been abducted, and Alek and Gable are witnesses. Alek and Rissa form a secret alliance to find her father and uncover the truth behind the conspiracy, risking life and freedom as they follow clues straight to the heart of the Memric Isle’s government.

Genres: Fantasy, Queer, Romance, Adult, LGBT

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 10, 2026

About the author

Julia Laurel is a graphic designer, illustrator, and outdoor adventurer living in the Inland Northwest. She writes speculative fiction to dream up strange places, celebrate neurodivergent and queer identities and romance, and explore the dangers of conformity. An Embodiment of Souls is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Gaby | read.onrepeat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up, I’m about to start gushing about this book.

I have no idea how to review it because every time I try to summarize it, I leave out the thing that impressed me most. It was that good.

I came for the necromancy and the queer tag, and got one of the best magic systems I’ve read in a long time.

It starts with necromancy.

Then two bodies.

Then religion.

Then memory.

Then questions of gender identity.

Then authoritarianism.

Then love.

In this world, people can communicate with the dead and even inhabit two bodies: one that remains pure and one that’s allowed to sin. I became obsessed with the implications of that magic.

It reminded me of Blood Over Bright Haven in the sense that both explore oppression through religion. Only this book did it so much better. We didn’t get a lecture on “women can do it better”. We got a story that shows you and lets you decide.

And then the author hit me with “like a pencil held in the wrong hand” when a woman inhabits a male body 🤯

I actually had to stop reading for a second.

The implications this could have for gender identity! It wasn’t representation added as a bonus but a natural consequence of the magic system. Every magical rule here has emotional, political, and philosophical consequences.

The only thing that kind of bothered me is that I expected it to feel more adult than it did. The ideas are ambitious, but the protagonists are still very young, and their perspectives made the story read more like YA at times.

By the end, I was thinking about societies using religion to create narratives of power long enough that they become truth.

Julia Laurel, I love your brain.



**Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the ARC. All opinions are my own.






______
📝 Pre-read
Men can have two bodies here. The first body is the pure one and the second is used to sin.
Yes sir, sign me up.

[❁lilith❁ · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.
________________

I LOVE a book with asexual representation, and this one has that in a main POV character. There is a real focus on platonic and queer platonic relationships which feels so fresh and unique. The romantic relationship between the other POV character and his friend is well developed, from heartbreaking yearning to the realisation of feelings and beginning to move forward with that. I think these relationships were the key to this story, and the plot, being more simple and convoluted at times, took a backseat.
I really like the whole magic system of this world, the men being able to possess a second body and how that intertwines with the religion which heaps burdens onto the women of the world, and the disenfranchised, poorer men. Really well done.
I did feel like the close friendship that we're told the two POV characters develop doesn't really feel totally earned; they're in tough situations together but I just don't buy that they've become so close in such a short span of time especially because we don't actually see that on the page, they just start talking about how they're so close and are inseparable now.

PUBLICATION DATE: NOVEMBER 10 2026

[The Reading Frog (Less online ATM) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Julia Laurel, Union Square & Co. & NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review

Rating: 4.75/5 ⭐
CW: This book is not graphic but deals with heavy subject matter regardless. There is a big focus on institutional, social and personal exploitation and oppression. Check the content warnings if you need them!
Explicit | (Internalised) sexism/misogyny, bigotry, classism, racism, xenophobia
Moderate | (Internalised) homophobia, (physical) child abuse, burn injury description, confinement, death, drug use (a fantasy version of it), effects of starvation, fade to black/non-explicit sex scene, manipulation, police brutality, violence (specifically towards women)
Mild | (Past) parental loss, brief suicidal ideation (a fantasy version of it), exploitation of the lower class, exploitation of women, gun violence, involuntary sedation/drugging, mention of femicide, misgendering, sexual harassment, sexwork
My chosen soundtrack(s): In Your Likeness - Woodkid | The Victim - Slow Funeral | Brutus - The Buttress

“You’d sin for me.”
“Every day.”

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I honestly can’t believe this is a debut novel. Julia Laurel has crafted an amazingly detailed, unique world filled with wonderfully complex and layered characters that will stay with me beyond its final page. The strong emphasis on social commentary throughout makes this a truly impactful read. It’s definitely one of my favourite reads of 2026!

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Representation
╰┈➤ Queer characters
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Gay MC(s)
‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Implied Bi/Pan MC(s)
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Gay/Lesbian/Bi side/background characters, including ones of an older age
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Gender-queer, genderfluid, and implied transfemme side/background characters
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Newel is implied to be a queer-normative kingdom
╰┈➤ Queer dynamics
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ MLM dynamic(s)
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Minor WLW dynamic(s)
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Background/mentioned sapphic polyamory
╰┈➤ Unspecified BIPOC representation
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Newel as a kingdom is implied to consist mostly, if not only, of brown-skinned people
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Gable, an MC, is Newelin and is described as having freckled brown skin and thick copper curls.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✴︎ Victor, a SC, is Newelin and is described as having brown skin and long, curling copper hair.


Themes
(Not) abiding by social norms, classism, culture clashes, deprogramming, double standards, exploitation, generational trauma, hypocrisy, ignorance, kingdoms/social groups with opposing cultures, necromancy, opression, paradigm shift, patriarchal/sexist/misogynistic society, political intrigue, privilege or the lack thereof, purism, religious guilt (the fantasy version of it), resistance/rebelism, self-denial, sinning, the nuances and levels of privilige, toxic masculinity, "Who are you when you are not performing?", xenophobia.


Tropes/What to expect
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Social commentary
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Dual POV
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Dynamic between MCs from opposing factions
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Religious guilt
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Touch starved MC
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Flawed, morally ambiguous and complex characters
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ (Found) family
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ "Touch him, and you'll die"
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Queer-centric
‎ ‎ ‎ ❥ Unapologetically feminist


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What I liked/loved
I want to start this review by apologising for its length. I REALLY loved this one, and apparently, that makes me totally unable to be normal about it.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ The worldbuilding in this novel blew me away!
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ The story is set in two kingdoms: Newel, a carefree, tolerant, and queer-normative society, and The Memric Isle, a stern, stoic, misogynistic kingdom governed by a purist, oppressive religion.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Both of these kingdoms and cultures are extremely well crafted, detailed and have believable reasons for being the way they are. They have specific clothing, makeup styles, architecture, customs, dishes, specific social events and holidays.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Necromancy and the very unique First/Second body system. Memric higher class men have two bodies filled with their consciousness. The body they are born in gets referred to as their First. It is expected/demanded that this body will remain pure and stoic.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Another body is used as a proxy and controlled via necromancy to absorb sin, without staining the First body. This sin-bearing body is referred to as their Second.

Second bodies were allowed to show emotion, to be friendly and kind, to inquire about a friend’s health or tell a family member that you love them—or to get angry and growl at someone to tighten up their appearance. If you performed enough recitations to the god of Discipline, you could also use Seconds to fight, gamble, cheat, gossip, blaspheme, and have lustful affairs.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Political intrigue. The story follows diverse characters from various backgrounds and political views, showing how upbringing, society, and who one associates with influences where they fall on the scale from Newelin to Memric norms.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ There are extremists, traditionalists, Memrics who are no longer considered Memric enough, those who are ignorant, those who are kept out of the loop, reformists and rebels. Some comply regardless of personal opinion, and others make their opposition loudly known.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Of course, there is also the aspect of Alek being part of the royal family of The Memric Isle and the political games and power struggles that come with such ruling monarchic factions.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Powerful intersectional social commentary highlighting the damage of ignorance, (unknowing) complicity, flawed systems, personal privilege, systemic oppression, the discomfort of unlearning doctrines and compromising morals for survival. It doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable look in the mirror or the levels of dehumanisation/objectification that still, unfortunately, reflect real life.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Misogyny, patriarchal societies and feminism | Newelin women are treated as second-class citizens and their husbands' property. They must remain chaperoned, are expected to maintain strict purity (unlike men, who have a second body to sin with), stay subservient, and are exploited for their magic. Breaking these rules leads to heavy and horrific punishment and social ostracisation. I love how the author explores internalised misogyny and that ignorance isn't limited to men.

(...) I don’t understand why anyone lives there, or why the women keep putting up with it when they can leave.”
Helane’s voice firmed. “Rissa. Think about it for two seconds. Where would we go? Who’s paying for us to emigrate? Who would take us in when all of our family and friends live there? When we weren’t taught languages or skills in school, and have children depending on us? Why do you think the women put up with it?”
Cold shock sliced through Rissa. (...) Of course the women couldn’t always leave. They didn’t have a choice.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Classism | Explores how the ruling class created a system that exploits the lower class while simultaneously blame-shifting in a way that centres the lower class as problematic instead of the creators of said system.

Seconds had once been lower-class men who’d committed great sins, their bodies cleansed of their souls and given to upper-class necromancers when they came of age.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Xenophobia and racism | Everything that is not Memric is considered wrong and sinful. Which is why a lot of Memrics are unapologetically bigoted, xenophobic, and racist. In this case, specifically to anyone who is Newelin. Which is hard to read, but definitely not an exaggeration of real-life scenarios.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Theocracy | The novel explores the dangers of a theocratic government through Memric society. Memric religion is inherently exclusionary, punitive, anti-women and anti-otherness, which is reflected in the way its people are governed.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Hypocrisy and double standards | Specifically, when it comes to gender based expectations and shaping religion to suit personal agendas.

They (...) thanked the god of Discipline for their safe arrival. In the same breath, they blamed Passion for their lateness.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Emotional repression| Exploration of toxic masculinity, emotional stoicism and how extreme repression creates a pressure chamber that will inevitably pop. No one can always 100% be pure or perfect. Regardless, Firsts and those without a Second body are expected to perform as such.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ While tackling dark and heavy themes, this story regards them as problematic and something to be fought. It's clear that Laurel does not explore these aspects to be edgy or for shock value, but to criticise modern-day problems through a fantastical setting.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I believe you can tell when an author genuinely cares about certain topics and/or did their research, which was definitely the case with this novel. This might sound a little weird, but I love that the magic/social system, to its core, is exploitative, morally wrong and obviously broken. It leaves no room for justification and clearly condemns it.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Well-rounded, flawed, complex (main) characters who feel like real people and go through fascinating, believable character arcs.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Rissa | A very capable, daring, assertive, and strong-willed yet somewhat ignorant woman shaped by both her Memric and Newelin fathers, struggling against the mould enforced upon her because of her gender. This quote is all you need to know about Rissa:

"I always say what I think, and I guess it bothers people."
"Well, you'd burn your way to the top of Memric society if you were a man."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Alek | A seemingly completely perfect, pure, pious Memric Prince who has not yet taken on a Second and is thus considered to be in more danger of becoming stained with sin. He'll definitely stay completely disciplined and won't be tempted into anything sinful while studying in Newel and rooming with his gorgeous friend, right?
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Gable | An easy-going Newelin guy. He is magically powerful, a great friend and roommate to Alek. Sometimes there seems to be something hidden under his carefree smile, but don't worry about it! It's probably nothing.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Helane | A way too young bride to an older Memric man, and a powerful necromancer who is seemingly the perfect picture of an obedient and pious Memric woman... or is she?
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Emphasis on how circumstances shape people’s behaviours and decisions, which don’t always reflect their true character. Laurer treats her characters with the respect and the nuance they deserve. They are not dumbed down to one-dimensional beings. I applaud Julia Laurel for her ability to make me care and sympathise with characters whose actions I didn't agree with. This author truly shines when it comes to grey areas and ambiguity.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Interesting dynamics between (main)characters. Specifically, the one between Rissa and Alek. Alek, who is expected to portray a certain image of 'manliness' that restricts him like an ill-fitting jacket, while Rissa excels in those areas but is dismissed simply because she is not a man.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Strong female characters. Our two FMCs definitely fit that bill, but many more side and background female characters contribute. They highlight not only physical strength but also mental strength, strength in numbers, and strength hidden in the shadows, concealed by lowered faces and perceived submission.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ A queer romance sub-plot that was easy to root for, was satisfying and didn't upstage the important storybeats and social commentary.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ✵ Yearning and Pining to the max! Insta-love/lust enjoyers, take a step back. Slow-burn enjoyers, come to the front and pick this book up.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Exploration of (found) family. I was especially intrigued by Rissa’s relationships with both her fathers, as well as the dynamic between the two men themselves. I don't know how to highlight what I loved about it without spoiling, but I'll try.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ There is a specific scene centred around their dynamic, a certain climax after a long build of tension, which really touched me and brought me to tears. I truly felt connected to these characters. I love how there is such an interesting plot without losing this character-driven aspect and emotional quality.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Unique premise and a lack of predictability that kept me on my toes. I hate that I do this, but I tend to try to predict what will happen, and unfortunately, I'm pretty good at it. In this case, there was a lot I didn't see coming. Yes, plot twists, but also just the normal story beats. Something about this storyline felt really fresh and unique.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✧ Focus on nuance, intersectionality, and moves away from black-and-white thinking. One can't summarise each and every experience of oppression in one sentence. It's layered, complex and intersectional. Binary thinking doesn't do these issues justice. Sometimes one is oppressed while simultaneously being a part of and sometimes even benefiting from this oppressive system. Sometimes this system is all one knows, unaware of other options. Sometimes one has to choose between two evils. Sometimes that evil is chosen for the sake of the greater good or the long game. Often, there isn't a choice at all.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I love that Julia Laurel respects this reality.


What I didn't like/felt lacklustre about
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ This is spoilery, so skip if you haven't read the book yet!!
The conclusion of the implied WLW connection felt somewhat vague and open to interpretation. I would've loved for that dynamic to rise a bit more above the b-text and make a more concrete statement on what type of relationship it entailed. I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be platonic, intimate, romantic, or perhaps a dynamic involving one character who might be ace and another who is not. I personally read it as romantic, but the ending left me with some questions. It’s possible I missed some context clues since I binge-read the book while tired.
‎ ‎ ‎ ✦ I love when books feature a diverse cast and representation. I am white, and thus I can't be the one to decide if the BIPOC representation is fully respectful and well done. I didn’t notice anything overtly problematic beyond the xenophobic behaviour, which the story clearly condemns.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ One aspect I’d like others to weigh in on is the aspect of white-default, aka skin colour only being mentioned in describing POC characters, while white characters are treated as the "default." Newelin characters' skin colour is mentioned way more often than that of the Memric (implied white) characters. We do, however, spend a lot of time in Newel, so there were statistically more POC, and this setting was established through those descriptions. I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this, specifically BIPOC reviewers.


Conclusion/Notes
This novel came out of left field and blew me away! I can't believe this is a debut novel and will definitely check out any of Julia Laurel's future projects.

It's clearly crafted with conscious care and attention to detail. The worldbuilding is extremely unique and serves as more than just a fantasy backdrop. The characters are lovable, complex and layered. I especially love that there are multiple queer main characters whose identities are integral to the plot. Discourse and social commentary were central to this story and a major reason why I love it so deeply.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves dystopian and speculative fiction, unique fantasy settings, feminist themes, social commentary, and queer-centric narratives.

An Embodiment of Souls is set to release on November 10, 2026. Be sure to add it to your TBR!


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[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

”Magic was beautiful. Passion wasn’t second to discipline, and it certainly wasn’t a sin.”

i am always drawn to books that involve necromancy, this book had one of the more unique representations of that too. i went in with no expectations really, but i knew almost immediately that i would end up loving this book.

i was so intrigued by the idea of necromancers taking over the body of someone else when they die and using that second body to keep their first one “pure.” the plot was so fast paced, there’s also some very complicated family dynamics that i think added to the emotional scenes of the story. Alek’s character growth was my favorite, he was a completely different person by the end with a new mindset that felt completely earned.

Rissa and Alek have such a refreshing relationship with each other, i also loved Alek’s relationship with Gable and how that developed. all the representation was so well done, especially when it came to Rissa being ace.

i am so glad i decided to give this book a try, im almost sad that its a standalone, but it works perfectly as one.

➷ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Union Square & Co. for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off: I absolutely loved the unique magic system!!

When one of Rissas father’s suddenly disappears, she takes matters into her own hands to find him. On her search, she stumbles upon Prince Alek and his best friend Gable. Together they try to solve the mystery surrounding his disappearance.

In Memric culture higher class men can use necromancy to fill another body with their consciousness. These two-bodied men use their second body to absorb sin and keep their first body pure.
Both Rissa and Alek grew up on Memric Isle but have complete different experiences.

As a woman Rissa existes only to support a man. Unlike men she can’t go out at night and is expected to stay pure. Still, she is strong willed and stubborn. She tries to find a place in a society that isn’t made for her.

Despite his high standing as a Prince, Alek has a lot of struggles on his own. He is still single-bodied and constantly worried about sinning. He longs to live a life that comes natural to Gable without fearing impurity.

The story takes place in Newel and Memric Isle, two places with a very different political climate. While Memric Isle is conservative and heavily religious, Newel is more open to queerness and gender expression.
It was very interesting to see how characters from different social standing interacted with each other.


I recommend this book to anyone who loves a unique magic system, flawed but loveable characters, social commentary and a slow burn romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

Publication date: 10.November 2026

[Ernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure, as the author's agent I'm extremely biased.
But I have no chill and I can't wait for you all to read this incredible book. Add it to your want-to-read shelf RIGHT NOW!

[jana · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Growing up in a traditional, deeply religious little village in the province, I think I was always going to have a personal relationship with this book. There are kinds of stories that hit a little closer to home when you’ve spent a considerable part of your life learning how to navigate the expectations of a society that has already decided what you should be, how you should behave, and what kind of life you are allowed to have. An Embodiment of Souls understands the violence of those expectations, particularly when religion becomes a convenient justification for patriarchal authority and social control. And as someone who absolutely loves fantasy with a healthy amount of political and social commentary, I was having the time of my life with this one.

The worldbuilding is probably one of my biggest highlights. Necromancy in this novel is genuinely one of the most fascinating magic systems I’ve encountered in fantasy. The concept of Second bodies, and the religious and societal structures built around them, is so incredibly harrowing. In this world, men can essentially separate their souls from their original bodies and inhabit a Second, allowing them to indulge in certain desires and commit what society considers sins while preserving the perceived purity of their original selves. The Second becomes a convenient vessel for everything that the supposedly disciplined and righteous individual wishes to disown. And naturally, this privilege is not extended equally. Women are expected to provide the magical labor necessary to sustain these bodies, effectively becoming extensions of their husbands’ power while being denied the same autonomy over their own lives. Even more disturbing is the class dimension of the practice, with Second bodies sometimes taken from men belonging to lower social classes or those already deemed criminals. The implications of this are fascinating because the magic system itself becomes a reflection of the society that created it. It raises questions about bodily autonomy, religious hypocrisy, class exploitation, and whose humanity is considered expendable when the powerful need something to sacrifice.

And oh the religious guilt. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I love how the novel examines the relationship between religious doctrine and personal morality, particularly when the two become increasingly difficult to reconcile. The idea that an entire society can build its understanding of virtue around a deeply arbitrary interpretation of religious discipline, then use that interpretation to regulate women’s bodies and relationships, is something I found especially compelling. Having grown up around similar attitudes, I recognized the suffocation of being told that certain desires are inherently sinful simply because they challenge what society has decided is acceptable. The hypocrisy is especially apparent in the way the characters navigate their identities and relationships, with love itself becoming something that must be negotiated against the expectations of their community.

I was reminded of Mahmoud Darwish’s Mural (2000), particularly its reflections on identity, performance, and the possibility that the roles we inhabit were imposed on us long before we had the opportunity to decide who we wanted to be.

Here’s a specific excerpt:
And in mirrors I look at myself:
Am I him?
Did I perform my role well in the last
act?
Did I read the play before the performance?
or was it imposed on me?
Am I a performer?
or the dupe who changed the lines to
live the post-modern
when the writer deserts his text and both actor and audience leave?

Are we living according to our own convictions, or have we simply learned our lines well enough to survive the performance?

I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but I absolutely adore fantasy that has something to say about the world we actually live in. The misogyny and patriarchal structures of Memric society, the classism embedded in its institutions, the xenophobia directed towards foreigners, and the toxic masculinity upheld by its religious and political authorities all contribute to a world that feels uncomfortably recognizable. I appreciated how the novel explores the different ways women can become complicit in maintaining the very systems that oppress them. Some of the most interesting conversations happen when characters begin to recognize that their individual experiences of oppression are not necessarily the same, and that liberation cannot be approached through a single universal solution. Rissa’s realization that leaving an oppressive society is not an equally available choice for every woman was particularly important to me. It is easy to romanticize escape when you have the resources and circumstances to imagine another life. However, for women whose families, livelihoods, education, and entire support systems are tied to the place they are trying to escape, leaving is an entirely different conversation. I appreciated that the narrative allowed Rissa to confront her own assumptions and understand that solidarity requires more than simply wanting better for other people.

The queer representation is another reason I loved this book. We have acespec, sapphic, and achillean characters at the forefront, alongside trans representation and other queer identities throughout the supporting cast. I especially appreciated that queerness is woven into the larger conversations about religion, conformity, and the structures that determine whose relationships are considered legitimate. Alek and Gable’s romantic relationship was lovely to read about, and I enjoyed seeing Alek navigate his feelings in a society that has very particular ideas about masculinity and what a man’s life should look like. I think Alek’s development throughout the story is one of my favorites. Romance is largely a subplot here, but I think it works wonderfully within the larger narrative. The relationships never feel like an afterthought, even when the political conspiracy takes precedence.

However, the platonic relationships are what really stole my heart. Alek and Rissa’s friendship is so incredibly precious, and I genuinely believe this is the kind of platonic love everyone should aspire to have. Their affection for each other is so sincere, and I love that they are never hesitant about expressing how much they care. They show up for each other, make room for each other’s differences, and remind one another that love does not have to be romantic to be life-changing. I think queerplatonic love deserves so much more attention in fiction, and this book is a lovely reminder of how important it is to find people with whom you can build a life, a community, and a sense of belonging.

I also adored Rissa and Helane’s relationship. Their connection was meaningful to me because of the way it explores a form of partnership that does not necessarily fit neatly into conventional romantic expectations. I would have personally preferred a more explicit exploration of their relationship, especially given how much I would love to see more acespec sapphic relationships in fantasy, but I also appreciated the tenderness and vulnerability of their love.

If I have any reservations, I think I would have preferred the characters to be a little older, perhaps somewhere around their mid-twenties. Given the political responsibilities, ideological conflicts, and emotional complexities they eventually have to navigate, I feel like the story could have benefited from allowing them a little more life experience. This is a personal preference, of course, and it didn’t significantly detract from my enjoyment. I also found myself wishing for more time with the world, particularly towards the final chapters, when the political developments begin to suggest the possibility of much larger changes within Memric society. I believe this is a standalone, and while the story does reach a satisfying conclusion, a part of me is genuinely sad about the possibility of leaving this world behind. I want to see what happens after the characters have challenged the existing order. I want to witness the consequences of their resistance and, more importantly, the difficult work of building something better. Perhaps this is also why the ending affected me as much as it did.

There is something very meaningful about stories that understand resistance as an act of love. Loving yourself enough to reject the identity that society has assigned to you. Loving other people enough to recognize that their freedom is connected to your own. Loving a community enough to fight for a future that you might not even get to experience. With everything happening in the world right now, it is difficult not to feel overwhelmed by how dire things can become. Sometimes the future feels apocalyptic, and hope can feel like an almost unreasonable thing to hold on to. But I think that is precisely why stories like this matter. They remind us that change has to begin somewhere, often with people who are frightened, uncertain, and painfully aware of what they stand to lose. You do not have to be fearless to stand up for what you believe in. You just have to decide that the world as it is cannot be the world you are willing to accept.

Ultimately, An Embodiment of Souls is a story about the things we inherit, the identities we are expected to perform, and the freedom to decide what our souls belong to. I came for the necromancy and political intrigue, stayed for the social commentary, and left with an unreasonable amount of affection for these characters. More than anything, I loved how much these people loved each other, and how that love became part of what made resistance possible. I think there is a kind of magic in finding people who allow you to exist as your whole self, without having to apologize for it. And if that isn’t worth fighting for, I honestly don’t know what is.

[gabbie (trying to catch up 🥲) · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

I'm struggling to even write this review because I'm so confused about my feelings and the book. It's built on such a creative, interesting concept, but I could not get into it for the life of me. I think I was already slumping a bit before I started this, and I can't tell if my experience with this book suffered as a result of me already slumping, or if the book caused the slump to get worse.

In this world, men can raise a Second: an extra body they can use to sin, while keeping their First pure. Women are not allowed Seconds, but are generously allowed to be tapped of their magical strength to keep their husbands extra bodies going. Behind every strong man is a woman doing all the work, apparently.

The story follows Rissa, Alek and Gable, through alternating POVs of Rissa and Alek. Rissa is a young woman who wants an education rather than a husband, and Alek is a prince with a complicated relationship to sin. When Victor, Rissa's father's husband, disappears, the three of them get caught up in an investigation that leads into a much larger conspiracy involving the government, religious authority, and the corrupt system that allows the ruling class to maintain its power.

The world-building is so intricate. I can totally believe that Newel and the Memric Isle are real countries. Their customs, languages, architecture, clothing, interior design, cultures are very well thought out, and the contrast between them both play a central role in the storytelling. I really enjoyed reading about a more progressive society that isn't heteronormative, and there's plenty of queer rep in this book. It's not my place to say if the representation is well done or not, but there's a wide cast of characters that I, at least, felt were written with care. I honestly struggled to connect with basically all the characters (Helane was cool!!), but I don't think I'm part of the target audience.

The social commentary was great, and so layered. The contrast of customs between Newel and the Isle allows the author to explore how arbitrary some of our social norms really are. What's normal in one country is considered outrageous or even sinful in an other. Classism is literally built into necromancy: upper-class men get Seconds, which come from lower-class men who have sinned. Religion controls practically everything (with deities like Discipline and Passion). There's misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, and just so much hypocrisy.

Unfortunately, I honestly didn't really know what this book was about. Victor disappears, and Rissa... doesn't really care? She barely reacts. The entire plot lacks that sense of urgency you'd assume is coming when your father (stepfather, but she calls him dad) goes missing and you have reason to think it was violent. I naturally assumed that she would be thinking about him, wondering where he is, whether he's injured or suffering, whether she's running out of time. She pursues leads, but most of the progress felt like side effects of chasing other objectives. It's like the plan is to investigate everything else and hopefully find Victor along the way, which left me wondering what the objective was, if not to find Victor? I think that was the goal, and I probably wouldn't have wondered had I read the synopsis, but I don't think I should have to read it. The book should be enough!!

The plot and pacing manages to feel somehow busy and slow at the same time. There are so many leads being pursued and random things they do, but I felt like it was all going nowhere. It didn't pick up for me until the last 20%. The stakes felt real in that part, and the pace finally picked up. But where was that energy for the other 80%??

This book had me so confused about the magic. There's charms, which means you put a memory inside an object. I think. There's a sort of board game that is mentioned frequently throughout the book called charm-harvest, and there's a piece in this game called an Ego piece. I think. Now we know the same amount of information about this game. Truly, what is an Ego piece? What is a charm? What is charm-harvest? It seems inconsequential because it's just some sort of board game, but it's mentioned so often throughout the story, both metaphorically and literally. Seriously, I'm so confused. Why is it mentioned so much but never explained?? I feel like I must have missed something, because surely these things were explained? Right??

To be fair, I have been slumping like crazy. Anyone who reads arcs will know the pain of slumping and still having to finish books because they're about to be released 🥲 And how much your experience can be affected by it. I'm so conflicted about this because it's such an ambitious book, and it does so many things well. I love the world, the premise, the social commentary. I love the thought that went into making these societies feel real. So many great aspects, but they went nowhere.

[queerromancebooks ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly breathtaking. I could not put this book down until I’d finished it. I read it in a single evening. It’s been one of my favourite books I’ve read all year.

A tense atmospheric read that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very first page to the last, as it barrels headfirst through a gripping plot. The worldbuilding rich with complex magics and sociopolitical issues that really resonate.

These characters have beautiful queer stories laced with complex metaphors.

Rissa makes a deeply compelling character. A stubborn, audacious woman in a world that sees women as little more than what men can take from them. It’s easy to feel connected to her as she battles for a future that belongs to her. And the moment she meets Alek, you just know everything is about to change.

The perspective shifts are used masterfully here to weave between the stories at a pace that keeps you grounded in the action. You really feel as though you get to know these characters, and it’s difficult not to fall in love with them— every nuance and flaw.

At its heart, this feels like a story about identity, freedom, and love, and just how much you are willing to risk for this - exploring sexism, toxic masculinity, religious trauma and classism along the way.

[Beau · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you to Union Square for a complimentary arc of An Embodiment of Souls. All opinions expressed are my own.*

The premise of An Embodiment of Souls grabbed my attention immediately. Necromancers splitting their souls across multiple bodies? A complex magic system to unravel? A queer-norm world? You couldn’t sign me up quick enough.

Unfortunately, looking back at the book now, the things that excited me most going into it are some of the last things that would come to my mind when thinking about my reading experience.

The worldbuilding is incredibly complex and clearly holds so much potential, but the way it was delivered often made me feel like I was being told about the world rather than actually experiencing it. Instead of pulling me deeper into the magic system, I frequently found myself confused or simply tired from trying to keep up with it. All the ingredients were there, but it’s like some of those ingredients were measured wrong, and the story got left in the oven for too long.

The characters initially intrigued me, but as their development progressed, some of their growth began to feel rushed and forced, and that slowly chipped away at the interest I had in them at the beginning.

One thing I did appreciate was how many different topics the story was willing to explore. Classism, race, sexual identity, misogyny, and more are all woven into the story, and there were multiple moments where something I read sent me off into an entire mental discussion of my own. I appreciated that thought-provoking element. At the same time, I struggled to bring my focus back to the actual page just as frequently, which made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story.

An Embodiment of Souls has so much potential. More than anything, I found myself wishing the book would simply slow down, breathe, and give its ideas a little more room to develop. There’s clearly an interesting world and a lot of ambition here, and as a debut, I think it shows promise for good things from this author in the future.
For me, though, this one ultimately didn’t deliver quite the experience I had hoped for when that fascinating premise first caught my attention.

[Kaiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up!

This book is a little undercooked plot-wise & reads more like YA, but it had a very fresh premise! I think there are a lot of cool and interesting things going on here, especially the exploration of relative privilege (as complicated by wealth, sex, race, age, etc.).

There was a good bit of telling instead of showing, but I could forgive some of it as it resolved the YA-style conflicts before they started annoying me. The plot was a bit too easy and I didn’t really get attached to the characters, but I still had a good time reading it!

The queer-platonic marriage with side partnerships and ace rep was really nice. I like when books toss out the triangle trope and do something much cooler and more intricate

All in all a fun time! Thank you Annie <3

[Siavahda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially found this really interesting, but it started to pale fairly quickly. I made it to 37% before calling it quits.

Embodiment of Souls has that problem of a very cool premise that is not adequately backed-up by its worldbuilding. An enormous amount of the plot revolves around the fact that male necromancers take second bodies as a matter of course; their religion and customs are very strict about what you can do with a First body versus what you can do with a Second, which is fascinating. The problem is where these second bodies come from. The vast majority were born poor and then found guilty of serious crimes. It’s an open secret that the legal system is overly-quick to find these people guilty, so as to supply the upper classes with more bodies. The condemned have their souls wiped away and their body is given to a necromancer.

I have to admit, I struggle to believe that a society would put up with this for very long. I really wanted an explanation for why the people hadn’t had a revolution yet. But maybe it’s not that different from a death penalty, which, in our world many places put up with for a very long time. Right?

Then we learn that the nobility falls victim to this as well. That at any moment, the royal family can find a nobleman guilty of trumped-up charges, and take their bodies.

Nope. Nope. I don’t buy that for one second. Show me, anywhere in the world, where a noble class would put up with that. It’s one thing for an oppressed class (those in poverty) to be oppressed a little more. But powerful people, who are used to getting everything they want? They’re not good at submitting to something like having their bodies stolen. No way. The royals would be stabbed to death in their beds and we’d have a new monarchy that didn’t pull this crap. It would be the Romanovs all over again.

So…that made it really hard to immerse myself in the story. It got worse when we learned that actually, quite a lot of necromancers can’t sustain two bodies. Their wives have to help them, constantly. And that… I don’t understand how a society like that could develop. Especially one that is so incredibly misogynistic. Why would a society develop as big a status symbol as men having two bodies, when most men can’t sustain that? And if they did, why wouldn’t those men value women with powerful magic of their own? You’d think daughters of necromantic families would have a whole bunch of suitors, because those women would be very valuable to their husbands re keeping their second bodies going. One of the reason sexism happens is when society de-values women’s work, but in this case, you have women doing exactly what the men are doing, helping them do it. So… I’m not saying this society shouldn’t be sexist, but I felt like this element of their society ought to make their sexism more complicated.

And it really isn’t. The misogyny and homophobia is very simplistic, cartoonish. On the one hand, this kind of hate absolutely happens in the real world; on the other hand, when you make it this simple, you bore me. It feels predictable, lazy. The author is writing a book critiquing misogyny and homophobia and a certain kind of religious fundamentalism, but that falls flat for me when the portrayal of those things is so one-note. The critique is good, and acknowledges how intersectional a lot of prejudice is. But it’s boring.

The characters all have one or two traits that define them, and that’s it. They bored me to tears. Alek is a cinnamon roll wrestling with internalised homophobia; Rissa is (justifiably) Mad At the Patriarchy. That’s kind of all there is to them. Rissa search for her missing dad was taking forever to get anywhere; that Rissa agrees to marry Alek at a moment’s notice, despite being so (sensibly!) against marriage in her culture was…just not believable at all. Rissa ends up piloting Alek’s body around, and that could have been really interesting – we could have done Gender Stuff with that, re Rissa being so much more comfortable in a man’s body, and that Alek felt so relieved to give up control of himself could also have been something to sink our teeth into. But the book didn’t seem to be going in either of those directions.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews praising the worldbuilding, and I’m wondering if we read the same book. The worldbuilding isn’t bad, but it’s minimal and kept very simple. The Memric Isle is misogynistic puritan-land; Newel is early Industrial-Age utopic. The most distinct parts of the worldbuilding was the Memric Isle’s strange tradition of necromancers keeping multiple bodies, and Newel’s passion for magic that lets you see other people’s memories. Oh, and Newel is very queernormative, which was delightful to see – there are multiple nonbinary and trans characters dotted around the place. But the worldbuilding isn’t terribly intricate or original.

The prose is very basic, and I think this is what killed my interest. I can read books I find boring if the prose is beautiful, but it isn’t, here. It’s also not terrible – I was never left twitching at weird phrasing, and never ran into sentences or imagery that made no sense. But it’s very simple and straightforward. Very bestseller-style – extremely accessible, which I think is good for what the author is going for, but not of interest to me personally.

If you’re less nitpicky than me – ie if you can accept the multiple bodies thing – then I think this could be a very decent read. It’s good. It’s just not great – the prose and characters both need to be more complex to get us to ‘great’.

[Sierraaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars, rounded to 3/5 for Goodreads

~~~
First, i would like to thank NetGalley, Union Square & Co., and Julia Laurel for the opportunity to read and review this book early. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The premise of this book described in the blurb sounded very promising, but unfortunately i do not think this book was for me. I was excited about this take on necromancy, with men splitting their consciousnesses into second bodies, modeled after a religion surrounding gods known as Discipline, Purity, and Passion. and of course i was interested in a possible journey to recover the FMC’s missing father; however, i think this book was too choppy for me.

For starters, Rissa’s character was unbelievably whiny and inconsiderate of others. she’s supposed to be this super strong necromancer, but she causes multiple problems throughout the book with her constant miscommunication with other characters. i found the dual magic systems to be a bit hard to follow at times, because the magic was just thrown out without really being explained until almost the end. The dialogue was also abrupt here and there, and just didn’t feel that believable between the characters.

I do think one of this book’s redeeming qualities is its queer representation that is present throughout though! Memric society may shun those that don’t fit the country’s heteronormative views, but it doesn’t stop those characters from existing as they are.

I am unsure if there is going to be a second novel, and i don’t think i will read it if there is.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy!

I wasn’t exactly sure where the story was going to explore. I found it so interesting and intriguing while getting to dive into misogyny and show casing the LBGTQ sub plot. I found it so satisfying to read and be immersed into this unique world while carefully taking into consideration of religion and the nuances it plays into the story. The characters are not perfect which immediately makes the story more genuine and authentic. It’s excellently well written and my hat goes off to the author for such a wonderful read!

[Wendy Romashuk · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the beginning of the book I didn’t really understand what was going on with the necromancers and having “seconds”. I ended up reading the first chapter twice before I finally got into the story.

What I liked was the search for her “father” Victor, it was promising. But there were other themes that started to annoy me. To me it felt like talking about being (or wanting to be) queer was becoming the main objective and the storyline came second.

I thought the story started out strong with Rissa and her powers but in the second half of the book things were really hard to believe.
I finished the book but was already thinking about what I wanted to read next.

[isiri · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers to sending me an ARC in exchange for a review! All opinons are my own!

To start, I just want to say the concept was so interesting. I loved the magic system and the lore. However, I wasn't a fan of the execution.

The story is originally about our main character, Rissa, teaming up with Prince Alek to find her missing Dad. However, it felt like the author was going for a more political plotline with how the rest of the book played out. Nothing wrong with that, I love a political fantasy, but it felt out of place with how the story started.

Plus, the Memric society is described as Purtian and very conservative, with women having no rights. I like the commentary, but sometimes it felt redundant and didn't match the rest of the plotline. At a certain point the commentary started to feel repetitive.

As far as our main characters, Alek annoyed me so much. He starts of as an insecure prince with no confidence, afraid of sinning. It takes over 70% of the book to see any character development. And when he finally changes, it felt really abrapt. I feel like his character arc could have been written better, because at a certain point, when you're well over halfway through the book, it gets annoying listening to Alek being afraid of sinning and having no confidence after everything that has happened.

Then there's Gable, who annoyed me even more. I won't go into much, but I wasn't a fan of how he treated Rissa even after she told him she wasn't in love with Alek. I get it, he was feeling jealous because he loved Alek, but that still didn't give him any right to treat her that way despite her communicating her feelings. And he never apologizes, and it never sits right with me.

The only character I liked was Rissa in the whole thing. Her journey, her emotions, and everything felt so much more justified for me. I loved reading about her internal struggles and monologue. She was a self-assured and confident character, despite having her own struggles with insecurity.

Writing style wise, it was pretty simple and direct, but it felt on the nose sometimes. I wasn't a fan of it, but I don't hate it as well.

Again, I loved the concept of the story, but I feel like with the way everything played out, a series would have been better instead of a novel. There were so many different elements introduced, and it would've been nice if we got more time to marinate with it. Plus, all the political scheming would have flowed so much better, considering there would be more time to plot everything and drop foreshadowing. That was my other gripe, that the plot twists and developments in the story seem to come out of nowhere. And with such a unique magic system, a series would have been so nice, especially since we can see the magic and lore being expanded on.

But, I digress.

Anyways, if a fantasy version of the Handmaid's Tale that includes necromancy is up your alley, maybe you'll enjoy this book!

[monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

there is so much i enjoyed about this book. i found the approach to necromancy a very fresh and fascinating idea. in this world, necromancers can take a second body that works just like their own. the man's first body is supposed to stay "pure", while the second is used to sin. i loved that system, the complexities it introduced, and i was fascinated when we reached the point where we had a pov of a character who had a second body.

i also really liked the relationship between the two main characters, though at some points i wished they would communicate more. i liked the characters themselves, and the romance, and i really liked the initial plot where rissa went on a search for her father, who'd been kidnapped. but from there, things get a little worse.

spoilers ahead!

first of all, the book was somehow very fast-paced but at the same time i felt like the plot wasn't moving at all. there just didn't seem to be anything important happening, even though something was happening all the time. i also found some of the characters' actions implausible, specifically rissa's rash decision to marry alek, even though it meant giving up her freedom and power, and even though she seemed so opposed to the idea moments before. at that point in the story, i just couldn't believe she'd sacrifice so much for him.

the characters also pretty much stumbled into power and rebellion that was already happening for a different reason and they didn't have any trouble taking over. it was too easy and convenient, and it gave me no satisfaction to see them succeed. i wished the story would stay focused on rescuing rissa's father, maybe uncovering alek's brother's plots, but the characters were crowned and started reforming the country without even having thought of doing that. it just happened to them so easily. maybe that plot should have been saved for a sequel, and developed more.

even though i enjoyed the writing, there were also some moments when i found myself confused about what was happening, or how the magic worked (to be completely honest, i still don't understand some things), so maybe they needed to be explained more, or things needed to slow down a little.

overall, i think this is a very solid debut, and i loved the ideas behind this book. i'll definitely keep an eye out for the author's future projects.

thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Alyssa Genna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could properly express how much of a struggle this book was for me. Every once in a while, I come across a book that completely kills my love for reading and sends me into a slump, and I fear this was that book.

The concept was genuinely fascinating, which is what drew me to request the ARC in the first place. The story follows necromancers who each have two bodies, the First being bound by the strict laws and expectations of society, and the Second that can be used to enjoy the more indulgent aspects of life, like expressing emotions and physical intimacy. It's a deeply religious, patriarchal society where only men are permitted to have a Second, while women are expected to support them.

I think this book would have benefited from being a duology. There was simply too much lore, worldbuilding, and social commentary to fit into one story. Although themes of misogyny, homophobia, and classism are explored, none felt particularly well-developed. The concept of a Second absorbing one's sins and the necromantic magic system were things I should have loved, but the execution left me increasingly confused. I reread the first five chapters twice, convinced I'd missed something, and it still took over 150 pages to get a decent grasp of the world, only for new information to muddy things all over again.

And can someone explain why this is categorized as adult? Because of the language? The content? I spent nearly 300 pages waiting for Alek and Gable's relationship to develop, only for it to culminate in a handful of kisses and a sudden love confession in the final 20 pages. Despite all the pining, their confession felt incredibly out of place. Between the choppy storytelling, underdeveloped relationships, and inconsistent pacing, I struggled to stay invested. The antagonist also lacked any meaningful buildup, making it difficult to care about the conflict or its resolution.

Ultimately, this was a book with a premise I wanted to love, but one that never quite came together for me. I'm still very grateful to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square & Co. for providing a copy of this novel!

The magic system in this book is absolutely horrific. While Laurel did touch upon how messed up it was, I feel like having this book be a stand-alone kind of gave it a disservice. I love a stand-alone novel, but I think it would have been nice if we could've spent more time with the individual characters and get to know them better. I loved Alek's existential fear of death and losing his body. I thought it was done well, but I wish we could've gotten more. I also feel like Gable was super underdeveloped. I also really liked Rissa and wish we could've gotten more with her birth father. There was a lot of good angst there and I wish we could've gotten more.
Anyway, while I wish this could've been a series to really dive into the characters and magic system, I still think these things were done pretty well as just a stand alone. I was invested in the story and wondering what was going to happen next. I did really like the magic system, but it could be confusing at times. I would sometimes struggle to keep straight what was going on because of all the "first" and "second" body references.

[Demetri Papadimitropoulos · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

The Body You Borrow, the Life You Owe: On Love, Possession, and the Limits of Liberation in Julia Laurel’s “An Embodiment of Souls”
A fantasy of stolen bodies and chosen loyalties finds its deepest moral difficulty where the desire to save another person begins to resemble the power to possess them.
By Demetris Papadimitropoulos | November 3rd, 2026

Double the bodies, double the opportunities for a father to disapprove. Julia Laurel opens “An Embodiment of Souls” in Ambassador Stephan Lanodar’s apartment, where his First peers past the curtains while his Second rearranges books Rissa has already dusted. The division of labor seems almost homely until that Second orders Rissa to cover her hands and abandon her forbidden charms. Here is patriarchy with an excellent staffing arrangement. On the Memric Isle, privileged men control additional bodies taken from people condemned for supposed sins; their wives spend magical energy keeping those bodies active. Stephan loves his daughter, but her marriage is an arrangement he considers his to make.

Even Stephan’s tenderness stops at the border. He has married Victor, a Newelin professor, against Memric orthodoxy, but means to arrange his daughter’s marriage without her consent. When Edmund insults Victor, Stephan declares, “He is my spouse on these shores” – a brave rebuke with a border built into it. His Second can show tenderness while his First keeps a ceremonious face, as though affection could be separated from the man who feels it. Before anyone explains the doctrine, its rules are already on the body: hands hidden in gloves, women indoors by curfew, condemned people made available as Seconds. Rissa must obey as though the restrictions were favors.

Meanwhile, Victor disappears just after Rissa learns she must return to the Isle; a charm-harvest piece preserves the moment of his violent abduction. Searching for him, Rissa meets Prince Aleksander, or Alek, the Memric royal family’s frightened youngest son, and Gable Fotive, his exuberant Newelin roommate, who practices memory-altering mnemomancy. An accusation of sin could make Alek’s body someone else’s Second, and he has been taught to treat his attraction to Gable as evidence against himself. After a violent attack, Rissa binds her magic to Alek to keep him alive, and the two enter a secret marriage intended to protect them both. The vows give them cover, but leave unsettled when Rissa may enter the body her magic now reaches.

Evidence in this world comes with a peculiar problem: memory is transmissible, but meaning is not. Before the abduction, Victor gives Rissa a charm-harvest memory of herself asleep between Stephan’s two bodies, warmed and guarded by her father’s affection. Rissa takes it instead as proof that Stephan loved her better when she was small. Victor offers to show it again, then concedes, “Perhaps the best language for me to communicate right now is words, not magic.” Victor’s “right now” leaves magic some dignity; this memory has failed him even though what it shows is true. The memory feels “heady and syrupy-sweet”; Rissa imagines wringing it from her head like a wet sponge. Her hurt is not a technical error that replaying the charm can fix. Later, Gable will plant a false memory to obtain a true confession.

Trouble follows Rissa most reliably when she is sure she is helping. She mistakes Xethi’s offer of friendship for dislike, then takes Alek’s body on an unauthorized detour because another clue seems more urgent than his safety. On her official books page, Laurel calls Rissa an ace protagonist. At the protest, she asks for committed partners who will love her deeply and “make decisions with me.” Her desired commitment does not require sex or conventional romance. Stephan denies her that participation; Rissa in turn sometimes denies it to Alek. Helane can love Rissa without agreeing to leave her work or reorganize the rest of her life around a new partner.

Royal birth has trained Alek to apologize before he knows what he has done. It has offered no shelter: the scars on his back record his family’s punishment of disobedience. His affection for Gable provides some of the gentlest comedy: Gable treats a touch or invitation as ordinary, while Alek imagines a tribunal waiting at the end of the gesture. His fear of receiving a Second sits beside his fear of remaining single-bodied, a particularly cruel double bind. Once he can command a Second, the manners of the people who frightened him start turning up in his own mouth.

In the first half, Rissa’s necromantic connection allows her to operate Alek’s body while remaining physically elsewhere. At the culthouse, Edmund drags Helane into a chokehold just as Gable, seen through Alek’s eyes, forces the archnecromancer to open the crypt. Panic jerks Rissa back to her own body; she must restore the link through her fingerprint mark. She cannot protect Helane and keep Alek safely inside the crypt at the same time. Her expanded reach has not doubled her capacity to care. The alternating sensory positions produce actual suspense: the freedom to go where Memric women may not walk leaves a second person exposed when Rissa’s attention fails. The chapter may belong to Rissa, but Alek’s flesh has to bear the consequences when her attention breaks.

Protection is also the story Alek tells himself after Edmund, who has attacked him, becomes his Second. The acquisition protects Alek, but sharing a steamship cabin with Edmund’s face unnerves Gable. He asks where Alek is, although the Second sits before him. Later, at Patrik’s club, Alek instructs Gable which body should receive a look and which should receive an answer. He has started correcting the man he loves in the hierarchy’s name. Before his brothers, he is powerless again; with Gable, the new formalities give him something to insist upon. Privilege enters as an awkward adjustment of address. Gable’s growing reserve is the price of Alek’s new composure.

Across its two parts, geography hardens these compromises into law. Newel is a city of trains, scientific laboratories, crowded clubs, and liberties that the Memric visitors alternately enjoy and distrust. On the Isle, that same culture of judgment controls the household, the court, the prison, and the pulpit. Its interwar motorcars and electric lamps share the streets with ritual veils and surveillance of souls. At a royal club, a nun serves serpent blood that Patrik identifies as poison. Rissa fears the inspection of Alek’s necromantic mark at the port; in the culthouse, women kneel while their husbands take the seats. The seats tell their story before the sermon begins. What Stephan demanded at their kitchen table is enforced by prisons and men with batons.

Power on the Isle is maintained by women who may scarcely exercise it. A wife supplies the energy that permits her husband’s extra body to function; the social prestige is his, the fatigue hers. He gets extra eyes and hands; she pays for them in energy. Even the terms First and Second count his bodies, not the people displaced to provide them. Rissa feels the drain when she clasps Alek’s Second, and Patrik’s wife Kristine suffers when the arrangement supporting her husband’s body collapses. At their first ceremony Rissa pours so much magic into Alek that she collapses; the wedding has a price. But Laurel does not confuse needing another person with owning them. Victor cares for Stephan; Gable tends Alek; Rissa’s magic saves him when nobody else can. Kristine’s exhaustion makes the difference brutally plain: a wife can keep her husband standing while no one asks whether she can stand.

A photograph of Margaret Myle outlasts the official account of the magic she helped create. Necromancy once meant communing with souls in the afterrealm; the ruling order has narrowed it to the sanctioned taking of bodies while treating the older practice as blasphemy. Victor and Margaret Myle helped develop mnemomancy from related principles, but Myle was deported and her contribution effectively erased while Victor’s research came under official control. “All magic is memories,” Stephan tells the young investigators. The claim links Victor’s little tokens of affection to the knowledge Patrik intends to seize. Rissa later hangs that photograph in a former royal chamber, where Myle can finally be seen. Patrik has Victor abducted to turn those discoveries into a device that can leave the body alive and its owner absent. But Stephan delivers the history in a lump of explanation, briefly arresting the investigation it clarifies.

During charm-harvest, Rissa recognizes Victor by the residues of his work. Victor’s Signature carries “textbooks, lab chemicals, and the sharp scent of metals”; the charm beneath Rissa’s finger is a “gossamer-delicate web,” unlike the “raw, painful necromancy” she learned at home. Victor advances a piece with scholarly patience; Rissa overwhelms his charm and boasts, “Chunky magic wins games.” The boast sounds rather different when Alek begins thinking about the crown. Laurel’s brisk sentences suit her impatient characters: Rissa moves from sensation into action, while Alek breaks into apologies mid-thought. The words First, Second, Signature, and Grievance pass for ordinary vocabulary, making the violence behind them easier to overlook. Such unadorned labels can pass unnoticed for pages, until a body looks back with the face of a man who attacked you.

In Laurel’s magic, a few laboratory smells can summon Victor as distinctly as a voice; in her fright scenes, hearts hammer and faces heat with much less individual character. At the culthouse, “Terror coursed through her like acid,” though Rissa’s broken concentration and Helane’s choking body already give the terror its shape. A Signature can disclose a history in one touch; another pounding heart often explains what we have just watched. When Rissa abruptly loses Alek’s viewpoint, the form conveys panic without an extra pulse to certify it. The break in Rissa’s connection already makes a reader feel the loss of control; the acid simile adds heat but little information. Alek’s scars, his brother’s glance, or the silence that follows a religious correction can register fear more economically than another rush of heat through the chest.

Much of Stephan’s emotional life has depended on a second body doing what the first was trained to conceal. He has injured Rissa while secretly knowing how much Memric doctrine conceals. The death of his Second deprives him of the body through which he habitually expressed tenderness; the First can no longer delegate love. Stephan originally approached Victor’s scientific work as a Memric observer expected to report home; loving the man he was supposed to monitor did not magically cure his allegiance to the system. Their reconciliation has the halting quality of people who have practiced restraint until even an apology feels indecent. The man who enforced Rissa’s future also remembers carrying her through foreign markets and reading to her in several languages. While he speaks of what the cult has cost his family, his eyes still drift to the portrait of the gods above the mantel.

Inside the afterrealm, Alek is afraid of the very person who can bring him home. Patrik has seized Alek’s First and expelled his soul, but Rissa can still find him through the magical connection to his Second. She encounters Alek not as a serene ghost but as a wounded, sometimes childlike figure, shrinking from her because she told Patrik about his supposed sin. A Newelin wedding bracelet appearing on one of his changing forms hints at a hoped-for future with Gable. Her own betrayal helped place him in danger, and an apology must precede the rescue. Even then she stops to ask whether he wishes to return. “I’m afraid,” he said. “But I’m sure.” Each clause has the same subject and verb. The conjunction allows certainty to answer fear without pretending to cure it. Rissa worries that his obedient soul may be yielding simply because she asked; only then does she perform the spell. Her power has to wait for his answer.

The plea preceding that answer is less balanced, and far harder to set aside. Alek has been schooled in obedience; the woman asking is both his rescuer and someone whose betrayal helped endanger him. Before asking whether his consent is free, Rissa begs him to return “For me, and for the country,” then invokes Gable’s need for him. The appeal is loving and loaded. The woman who resented her father’s decisions is painfully close to making one for Alek. Her empathy becomes credible when it checks rather than magnifies her power. Gable’s later use of mnemomancy to extract Patrik’s confession tests that standard from another direction. Stopping him is urgent; allowing him to control more bodies would be intolerable. But the story should still make room for the cost of taking control of his mind.

Restored to his First, Alek must relearn what it means to be at home in his own skin. His eventual desire to touch Gable with his original body rejects the teaching that his First must remain a vessel of discipline. The same prince who can declare himself king becomes gloriously unprincely in private with Gable. With Rissa and Helane, Laurel imagines a different kind of attachment, one that need not require exclusive romance or sexual intimacy to be binding. Helane must be allowed political commitments and other forms of intimacy that do not revolve around Rissa’s needs. Gable can kiss Alek’s First without purity doctrine between them; Helane can name what she wants without being asked to leave it behind.

Outside the prison, members of the Society for the Limitation of Necromancy join arms and give political solidarity an unexpected grammar: “OUR BODY IS GREATER IN NUMBER THAN YOURS.” The singular “body” is a pointed grammatical theft. Memric privilege has long been calculated by how many bodies one man can command; the demonstrators answer with a body made from people who have chosen to stand together. Alek instinctively grimaces at the forbidden unison: Memric custom even polices what multiple bodies may say together. Then police strike the demonstrators and grab at women’s clothing and hair; collective metaphor meets vulnerable flesh. Earlier, a handful of women had risen against Edmund when he attacked Helane. Here their improvised refusal has become an organized chorus. No one in the crowd has to surrender a body to make the chorus speak.

Patrik falls to the very kind of intrusion the novel has taught us to mistrust. Inside the culthouse, Gable implants a memory that makes Patrik believe he is confessing to religious authority. The resulting confession discloses poisonings, coerced research, stolen bodies, and Patrik’s plan to inhabit his son and then his grandson. A remembered crime first supplies evidence; now a fabricated memory extracts a true confession. The reversal is clever and unsettling. Gable may have no safer way to stop him. The narrative still moves past the intrusion because the confession is so useful. Patrik’s monstrous plan also lets the congregation condemn an impure usurper rather than reconsider the respectable violence of ordinary Seconds. The souls displaced to create those lawful Seconds have no voice in the hall. The confession identifies a criminal; it cannot explain why men whose Seconds are legal should surrender the bodies that certify their status.

Once Patrik is exposed, Alek assumes the throne while declaring that he will remain single-bodied. He rejects the body’s multiplication as a sign of strength, even invoking an older religious history in which the gods themselves were single-bodied. Alek calculates that abolishing monarchy on the spot might restore Patrik’s advantage, so he accepts a crown meant eventually to become unnecessary. “The point of the game was to win.” The thought recalls charm-harvest. It is a plausible calculation, though not a democratic one. Yet the transfer of power outruns the institutions it must change. The Society opens the doors, but an exceptional magician supplies the verdict and inheritance supplies the king. He announces meritocracy, then appoints his grandfather interim secretary, acknowledging the nepotism midstream. Alek hopes to become the last king; the protesters who brought him there still have a country to argue over.

Unlike the coronation, Alek’s happiness has taken most of the novel to become possible. Publishers Weekly called the ending “tidy but satisfying”; those adjectives describe different closures. Alek’s intimacy with Gable repays chapters of fear and restraint. The new government acquires authority almost as swiftly as it acquires the palace. Tenderness may transform a household without rewriting a criminal code. Alek stops treating desire as evidence against his soul; Stephan touches Victor without relying on his Second; Rissa learns not to demand that Helane leave her movement. The private scenes give pain time to change its habits; the coup grants no such time to the people it would govern.

Light enters the room where the former queen once emptied herself to sustain the king’s other bodies. Rissa has taken down the curtains, brought in a long table, and hung Myle’s once-suppressed photograph among her family pictures. The room has been reclaimed by changing its use, not restoring the old one. Rissa then proposes to use older necromancy to return displaced souls to their former bodies. She asks that the original souls consent and envisages examining cases one by one. Yet her remedy measures consent from the displaced soul more clearly than from the person currently inhabiting the body. Then Silvia, a member of the movement, interrupts: “No.” For several lines we share Rissa’s surprise before Silvia explains what she stands to lose. Her objection does not come from ignorance of the magic; it comes from having survived its consequences.

Only when Silvia explains herself do we learn what her refusal protects. She seized Will’s body after he attacked her; as Will, she can own the brothel, protect its women, and legally marry Jacinthe. Silvia’s “that’s my body” borrows the possessive grammar of Memric law, but demands safety rather than rank. Her next assertion is harder to accept: “Those men are dead.” Within a cosmology that preserves souls in the afterrealm, the claim is disputable; Silvia is speaking instead for the present life she has managed to build. “He attacked me. It was me or him.” The clipped sentences make self-defense an answer to Rissa’s proposed restoration. Tess points to criminals among the displaced; Silvia’s freedom presses against those souls’ claims. Rissa postpones the proposal rather than override the objection. Her restraint is sensible, though changing the agenda cannot adjudicate those competing claims. Maurice’s illustrated pamphlet of fifty further demands offers a wry measure of how much slower governing will be than exposing a villain.

Silvia’s refusal still troubles Rissa after the meeting, when Helane removes the pins from her elaborate marital braids. The gesture recalls the gloves, marks, and prescribed postures that have made Memric bodies legible to authority. But Helane knows Rissa likes the touch, and Rissa can close her eyes and welcome it. The pins come out one by one, with no doctrine or witnesses to tell either woman what the gesture must mean. Outside, the curfew and the archnecromancers’ privileges still await reform; inside, the queen is permitted tenderness without a performance of obedience. My rating is 77/100, corresponding to Goodreads 3.50/5: an inventive, affecting fantasy whose borrowed bodies pose questions its coronation cannot answer. Before Rissa leaves this room, the braid will have to be remade. For now, her hair is loose in Helane’s hands.

[Stress Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Embodiment of Souls - ARC Review
⭐⭐⭐

🗓️ Nov 10, 2026

What if your society invented a second body so you could sin without staining your soul?

Thank you to Julia Laurel, Union Square & Co, Sterling Publishing, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this gifted eARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

An Embodiment of Souls is a queer political necromantasy that combines an unusual body-sharing magic system, religious authoritarianism, political conspiracy, and slow-burn romance with ace rep. Its central question is as unsettling as it is compelling: what happens when a society turns morality into a system of control?

Synopsis:
Rissa, the daughter of a foreign ambassador, thought she had escaped the oppressive religious customs of her homeland. But when one of her fathers disappears and she faces an unwanted future in a society that treats women as instruments of men's magical power, she joins forces with Alek, a prince hiding secrets of his own, and his roommate Gable. Their search for the truth draws them into a dangerous political conspiracy and a form of necromantic magic that could change everything they understand about power, identity, and sin.

Sometimes the most dangerous magic is refusing to conform.

🫵🏼 Read if you:
• want fantasy to say something meaningful about the real world
• are seeking queer stories in which identity is integral to the worldbuilding
• love books with necromancy, unusual magical mechanics, and morally complicated institutions
• enjoy slow burn romance w/yearning and emotional tension
• enjoy political intrigue and characters challenging the belief systems they were raised in
• enjoy fresh, innovative takes on familiar magic
• enjoy political fantasy and feminist rebellion
• enjoy queer fantasy romance, particularly if you enjoy mystery with their magic
• appreciate fantasy that interrogates sexism, classism, xenophobia, and religious hypocrisy
• enjoy fantasy that interrogates conformity, religious guilt, bodily autonomy, and the way powerful institutions control marginalized people

🚫 Maybe skip if you:
• prefer a straightforward adventure
• want escapist fantasy without heavy social or political themes
• want brisk, action-driven pacing throughout
• dislike necromancy or body-related magic
• prefer romance to be the entire plot
• prefer traditional, unchallenged fantasy hierarchies
• want the romantic relationship to dominate the plot or prefer explicit, frequent on-page intimacy
• looking for a conventional medieval setting
• dislike protagonists whose beliefs and behavior initially reflects the prejudices of their upbringing

📜 Review

✨ Warning that this review is likely to be all over the place, as are my opinions on this book. I expect I'll also contradict myself in this review, in part due to me being confused about parts of this world/book. I loved parts and there's an abundance of potential, but the execution just wasn't where I needed it to be. There is the potential that my injured brain is part of the problem, however.

What if a society could separate sin from the soul—but only by deciding whose bodies, identities, and freedoms were 'worth' saving? In An Embodiment of Souls, Julia Laurel builds a necromantic fantasy around a premise that is as disturbing as it is fascinating. Beneath the political conspiracy, forbidden desires, and dangerous alliances lies a deeper question: what happens when the institutions that claim to define morality are the very things perpetuating injustice? This is a story that encourages readers to question not just its fictional kingdom, but the real-world systems that teach people who to fear, whom to obey, and which parts of themselves they must hide.

🖤 What I loved most:
The layered plot has a lot going for it. Rissa's missing father, Alex's personal and political predicament, the characters' potentially dangerous and certainly unexpected alliance, and the conspiracy embedded in Memric society. All this gives the story both an intimate emotional question (how can you live honestly in a system built on oppression?), and a larger external mystery.

I love that we get a diverse and inclusive cast, plus thoughtful queer representation (including an ace main character).
I love that the characters aren't shown as perfectly perfect people.

I loved the intersectional critique of religious authoritarianism and the use of doctrine to police private behavior, gender inequality, reproductive and bodily autonomy, the unequal standards imposed on men and women, class systems that exploit marginalized people while blaming them for the conditions imposed upon them, xenophobia and the treatment of cultural difference as evidence of moral inferiority, as well as gender identity and the tension between one's internal sense of self and externally imposed expectations. Additionally, it's rich in symbolism and provides ample material for deeper thinking.

I loved the 1920s/1930s alternate timeline world and the contrary countries.

The magic system allows a person (men only, though) to split their souls and inhabit two bodies. One that remains "pure" and one that's allowed to sin. The magic system acting as a metaphor for compartmentalization? Phenomenally done. And the exploration of a society that can truly eliminate any wrongdoing simply by giving it a separate self to exist within was wickedly interesting and thought provoking. Having one self that is "pure," clear of any wrong doing, while the other, separate self takes any and all the wrong doing, the "sinning" - wildly imaginative and thought provoking.

❤️‍🩹 What I didn't love:
The layered plot (remember my warning about being all over the place? 😅) is very ambitious, but didn't quite manage to pull it off. There are so many plot threads going on at any given time. I found some areas more successful than others. As far as I've seen, this is a standalone book, and I think it would've been better as a series. There's a lot going on with the plot, plus the world building and unique magic system and the book is only ~ 350 pages.

I loved the overall premise, the diverse and inclusive cast, and numerous aspects of the story itself, but there were other parts that I either didn't love or am still confused about.

There's so much potential in the worldbuilding, but for me it remained untapped. It is possible that my current brain just couldn't process or understand it.

I'm still unclear on what classifies as a sin in Memric society, and what the consequences truly are. In Memric society, being gay is a sin, but we see a gay couple and I didn't catch any consequences they faced as a result, for example.

I'm still unclear on the magic system. I understand it, I think, in a vague way. But the specifics, the details? I don't understand and that frustrates me. Maybe us not having all the info now is intentional and will later serve a greater purpose? But as far as I know, this is a standalone, so that doesn't make sense. The men have two bodies and there were times it was unclear to me which was speaking (this particular aspect could potentially be clarified for the final version). Or maybe this was me misunderstanding the situation? There were times that I was so sure I'd missed something, I'd go back and reread parts trying to find it. Which besides pulling me out of the story, left me confused and, at times, frustrated.

Character's motivations that didn't seem to align, or they did but it was inconsistent.The pace felt equally too slow and too fast for me. Like too much going on and happening at once, yet the overall plot felt sluggish - if that makes any sense.

The potential being so high is part of what makes this a three star for me. I'll definitely give this author another read in the future. If this becomes a series, I'd very likely give book 2 a shot (and hope it opens with a synopsis of this book that clears up at least some of my confusion).

✨ My opinion more succinctly stated: I was often confused, occasionally frustrated. There's an abundance of potential, but for me the execution didn't quite match up overall, unfortunately.

An Embodiment of Souls stands out for the way it connects its fantasy mechanics to questions of identity, power, and social control. Its necromancy is more than an unusual magical gimmick: it creates a framework for exploring hypocrisy, bodily autonomy, gendered expectations, and the gap between public virtue and private truth. Although the density of its worldbuilding and the execution of its character arcs may not work equally well for every reader, the book's conceptual ambition and socially conscious approach make it an intriguing choice for fans of queer fantasy with something substantial to say. If you want your necromancy accompanied by political intrigue, slow-burn yearning, and a challenge to the systems that define who gets to be free, this deserves a place on your radar.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was a bit of a letdown. I wouldn’t say this book was bad, but there were several times when I thought, “This could have been so much better.” An Embodiment of Souls is an adult queer fantasy novel with a touch of mystery and political intrigue, but I would say the core of the story is the romance. The relationship between Rissa, Alek, and Gable is vital to the plot and even when they are solving a mystery or trying to survive, the love story remains the main focus. I don’t know if this was intentional or simply because the characters were better developed than the plot itself.
Anyway, let's break down the pros and cons of this novel:

Pacing: The plot moves at a really good pace; my only issue was that the story seems to slow down as it progresses.

Themes: The story tackles complex issues like classism, homophobia, and sexism. However, the author tries to achieve so much intersectionality that most of these themes end up feeling superficial, with the exception of homophobia, sexism, and occasionally classism.

Queer Representation: I have mixed feelings about the queer representation and the discrimination depicted. On one hand, people in this world are aware of gay, lesbian, trans, genderqueer, and polyamorous identities, and they live their lives openly. Yet, at the same time, they face discrimination. It’s not "torture porn" by any means, but it feels a bit off. This is somewhat explained by the two main settings: Newel, the “progressive” country, and Memric, where bigotry might as well be a competition. Since queer characters exist and face discrimination but still marry and move on, most of the time it feels more like a reminder that bigotry exists rather than an actual obstacle to the plot.

Misogyny: This is another major theme. Rissa and Helane come from different backgrounds and experiences, so the misogyny wasn’t just “women are second-class citizens.” Instead, it explored how background and privilege shape you, showing that even if your experience is bad, it is not universal, and there are always women in worse conditions.

Classism: This one is barely there, likely because all the main characters live in good conditions and one of them is a prince. Still, the book heavily addresses how most victims of necromancy are low-income people, and how rich people use them as tools to flex their status.

Rissa: She is a good character, but she didn’t really have a major character arc. Her growth was more intimate, small, and personal. Living in a world where women are looked down upon (even in her relatively progressive country) her arc centers on wanting to change her surroundings instead of letting her surroundings change her.

Alek: He has a solid character arc. He starts out as a shy, pure, and repressed character who needs to learn to be himself, not just for his own sake, but for his people, since he is a prince.

Gable: He was a fun character, but I wasn't as interested in him as an individual as I was when he was interacting with the rest of the group.

Magic System and worldbuilding: The magic system was confusing, not bad, just confusing. At times, I couldn’t tell if the author wasn’t explaining it well or if I was just missing something. This world practices necromancy and uses bodies to “sin.” There is also a whole concept surrounding "original necromancy" versus new discoveries. I am pretty sure the author built the lore well, but it didn’t translate clearly onto the page.
Related to the worldbuilding, I didn’t quite understand what a “sin” meant in this world. It seemed to mirror real world sinning, but the religious aspect wasn't well developed, so it was hard to tell.

Structure: Even though the story is divided into two parts (each taking place in a different country), there wasn’t enough time to develop everything properly. The mystery in the first half is resolved too easily, and the political intrigue in the second half feels like it's barely starting right before the book ends.

The Ending: I have mixed feelings about the conclusion. I appreciate that this book avoids the “bury your gays” trope, but the ending felt far too utopian to me. I didn’t hate the ending, but it felt rushed.
Overall, I had a good time reading this book. It has a great concept, decent characters, and interesting themes, but it ultimately didn’t reach its full potential.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie (probably_reading_romance) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost can't express how much I tried to convince myself to NOT DNF this book, but I just truly couldn't bring myself to keep reading it, not when reading as much as I already did felt like such a struggle.

To discuss the positives first:
This book has such a unique concept and that's what originally drew me in when I requested this ARC. I love a world where queer folk thrive in spite of a societal rules that say they're not allowed to exist. I love a world in which various magics are real and can be studied in universities and can even be invented in said universities (are you KIDDING ME? SO COOL!). Even the very idea that necromancy, which is normally depicted as an "evil" type of magic in many books, is just a standard way of life in this story. I genuinely can't recall ever seeing that before in a book, especially when combined with so many LGBTQIA+ characters and this type of mystery, so absolutely kudos to the author for these unique twists.

Where the book lost me was in the details, unfortunately. Our three main characters are Rissa, the daughter of the Memric ambassador to Newel, Alek, the youngest prince of the Memric Isle, and Gable, a magical investigator and Alek's closest friend. When we meet Rissa, we quickly learn how she chafes against the conservative restrictions of her Memric father's culture and expectations. When her uncle and his new wife arrive for a visit, she learns she's to be married off, which is one of the worst things she can think of happening. After her uncle attacks Alek and nearly kills him, she then... turns around and magically binds herself in marriage to him, which is quite a bit further than the "secret pact" mentioned in the book's summary.

My incredulity began to climb when her uncle's new wife turns out to be a cigarette-smoking revolutionary fighter that is only willing to fight sometimes, but is other time quite meek and mild and unwilling to risk anything. It just seemed a little too convenient that she just happened to be there and handy for Rissa as a resource and sometimes-comrade. It was also a bit too eye-raising when Rissa was able to so easily take over Alek's body as her temporary Second after their marriage ceremony despite having only learned of the possibility 0.56 seconds earlier.

I gave up entirely at the beginning of Part 2 when Alek and Gable suddenly confessed their love. For all of their pining for each other, I have to admit that was the most out-of-place love confession I think I've ever read in a book, to the point where I almost didn't believe it.

It's really unfortunate - it takes quite a bit for me to DNF a book, especially after I've made it this far in. Ultimately, while this is a very unique concept and I think it has a great amount of potential, it falls flat in its execution.

⭐️⭐️

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

[Celine Wu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a tough book to review because of how contradictory I'll sound reviewing it. Its strongest and weakest point is its worldbuilding, and while it attempts to do too much, the story seems to fall short of committing and going further in its explorations to make a stronger point. It's so messy and incohesive that it felt like many leaps were taken, and I was left in a ditch somewhere, ignored. By the end of the book, I honestly didn't care where I was or how I got there. I'd have been happier in the ditch.

It's undeniable that the author spent a lot of time and effort coming up with the world. It's detailed and thought out, but despite that, the world fails to convince me that the unique practices of the Memric Isle were condoned and tolerated, especially when the treatment of women is so heinous and dehumanising. The worldbuilding also failed to explain WHY or HOW the religious doctrine justified it. It simply was. I could overlook it for a while when Rissa's story went down an interesting path. Sadly, it was abandoned, taking a turn instead into a political mire that felt convoluted and yet too convenient.

One thing I can say about this book is that there's no insta-love here. In fact, the main characters do not get romantically involved at all, despite a marriage of convenience, and that's supremely refreshing. Give me more of that. However, there's still a lot of very convenient trust and devotion going on, which flies right in the face of the doubt and wavering between the characters that the plot spotlights. It doesn't make sense!

I wish so much that the story went a different way during the second part of the book. There was so much brought up in passing that could have been amazing if given more attention. From the start, Rissa is said to be a powerful necromancer, and yet she barely uses that power for anything. She despises the idea of being married, but the book mentions her in marital makeup and hair and clothes without giving us an idea of how she feels being forced into it. There's so much about the religion and how it's used to condemn some while raising others up but barely delves into what kind of society that creates on a more functional basis.

All I can really say is that the book is messy. I wish it was more than that, because I wouldn't mind reading about more worlds like this. Maybe the next book will have more depth, more nuance, and more of a chance to explore the themes it brings up.

I received an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley and Union Square & Co.

[Niki L · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

I AM FLOORED. For a debut novel, An Embodiment of Souls is an absolute banger. The worldbuilding is so rich, the magic system so wonderfully strange and layered, and the character development so nuanced that I would disappear into this world for several more books. A magic system has rarely felt this fresh to me, and I found myself wanting to know EVERYTHING about how necromancy & mnemomancy came to be, how they evolved, and what else they might be capable of. The dual POV with Rissa and Alek was perfect, especially getting to see their relationship and the people around them through two very different perspectives. Oh, and Rissa being on the ace spectrum? An absolute delight! I love seeing representation woven so naturally rather than treated like an afterthought.

The way Laurel explores power, religion, and the oppression of women and queer people resonated a little too close to the sun (in a good way?). Memric's systems of control felt uncomfortably familiar despite the fantastical setting, particularly the way something as meaningful as magic can be twisted into a tool for conformity and control. I loved seeing the secret marriage trope take on a different life here, and the underlying message that love, in all its forms, can exist beyond the boxes society tries to force us into. Newel's more open approach to gender also left me curious, and I desperately want to spend more time exploring the different isles, their customs, and the histories that shaped them. I have about 17,000 questions about Memric's religious devotion and how they managed to lose sight of the very meaning behind their magic. (We know how that happens in the real world, unfortunately. I just want the fantasy-world deep dive!)

4.75 stars. I am already campaigning for this to be a trilogy. I know this is a standalone, but PLEASE. There is so much more I want to learn about this world, and I am not ready to pack up and leave. The story itself delivers a satisfying conclusion, but the world has so much room left to explore. I want more history, more magic, more customs, more complicated people finding ways to love each other in a world determined to tell them they shouldn't. An absolutely remarkable debut, and I will be keeping a very close eye on whatever Julia Laurel writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Brenda Stokvis · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

When one of Rissa's fathers is abducted, she forms a secret alliance with Prince Alek and his roommate Gable to uncover a conspiracy reaching the heart of the Memric Isle's government.
First word that comes to mind after finishing this book, is that I am confused. The way necromancy works in combination with the religious doctrine is hard to fully understand. Second bodies, sins, women being vital to supporting men's Second bodies, excommunication, Signatures, a game called charm-harvest, etc. I feel like it took me until the end of the book to really understand it. I don't know if the magic system should be simplified or if the explanation is just insufficient, but it shouldn't take that long to fully understand it. And I still have lots of questions about it.
What probably added to the confusion, is that there is a lot going on in the book. There is a disappearance, a little revolution, a sudden marriage, political intrigue, different ways in which necromancy can be used, the religious doctrine focused on sins, which I'm still not sure what was considered sin and what wasn't. It was A LOT and I think it was too much.
It was often hard to grasp which body was talking in the case of two-bodied men, because it is not done to refer to a Second body with his dead name. But I paint a mental picture in my mind while reading and I was struggling with it. That often took me out of the story.
I did love the queer aspect of the story. Queer representation is always important and seeing main characters be gay, bisexual, gender fluid or asexual is wonderful. What did feel off though is that in Memric society, being queer is a sin, but it doesn't really have consequences? That is one of those times I was struggling with what constitutes as sin.
This is a debut novel and I think this author does have talent. This book to me feels like a diamond in the rough, there are good ideas but the execution could be better. I think the author was ambitious and maybe wanted a little too much for one book. Not a bad book, but not a really good one either.

[Svea · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all: What an incredibly interesting concept this book has! It has necromancers who have two bodies, one of which is beholden to all the laws and regularities of their society, the other of which is allowed to be used for the more fun aspects of society, like showing emotions and enjoying physical closeness. It's a very strict, religious and patriarchal society in which women are forced to support their husband's second body, and only men are allowed to have one anyway. Actually, not having one as a man is considered a weakness, and that's one issue one of the protagonists has to deal with.
It's also an incredibly queer novel even though society as such isn't queerfriendly at all, but both protagonists are queer and there are more queer side characters.

Sadly, the concept is more or less all I actually enjoyed in this novel. It just isn't for me. I didn't feel anything for either characters, the storytelling is at times choppy and so are the relationships. The pacing is all over the place which didn't help keep my interest in the story up, the antagonist isn't properly built up so I just never cared about bringing them down and also wasn't at all emotionally engaged with the Big Final Fight of it all. There are good ideas in here especially when it comes to themes of self worth and identity, of rebellion against strict patriarchal oppression, but it's been done better and these themes get watered down by a sadly very convoluted story full of characters that are only conceptually interesting and complex. Which is basically what this boils down to for me: Great concept, flawed execution. The writing wasn't my cup of tea either, but this is highly subjective and in the end, this is a debut and reads like one. There is much room to grow, but the ideas and creativity to build on are all there.

Many thanks to Union Square & Co and Netgalley for the arc!

[M H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of an advance copy from NetGalley. No incentive was provided in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is quite the debut novel! The story takes notions of body swapping and possession, and asks the question; what if it was not only possible, but expected within a society?

EoS's world-building is enjoyable to read, spinning up 2 societies with very different ways of fitting everyone together. One, technologically sophisticated, largely regarded as liberal and tolerant. The other religious, and bound to a form of theocratic rule that values misogyny, classism, and homophobia as fundamental strictures. Less considered but as fascinating is the notion of historical revisionism. Where a society reshapes it's past in order to support the current narrative. Our 2 POV characters present this interesting dichotomy through their eyes, and with their thinking. Old practices have been forbidden, and doctrine has been warped in order to buttress the pillars of monarchy.

The magical system is a refreshingly different approach to the subject. Men in the upper echelons of society are expected to claim a second body as an extension of their own being. But this practice has societal impacts; wives are kept downtrodden in order to maintain the authority of men. Criminal justice is corrupted in order to maintain the supply of soulless bodies.

It does have a little bit of a YA vibe going for it, but I wouldn't say it bothered me. For anyone curious - the spice level is yogurt.

Despite being a 2 POV story, I genuinely found myself interested in the development of characters like Gable and Helena. Even characters with minimal reference, such as Zeal, felt like they existed for a reason.

For anyone looking for a fantasy story with some depth, and a new take on a fairly well-worn story concept this would be a great read.

[Sage (ON HIATUS FOR WORK) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ★★★

Thank you Union Square & Co. & NetGalley for the ARC.

This book took me a while to read. Not because it wasn't great, but the narrative pacing wasn't quite as gripping as the other books I'm currently reading. However, it is written beautifully.

In Memric, magic and a stark patriarchy are inextricably linked. Their systematic misogyny is pretty staggering: women are treated as second class citizens and are barred from practicing magic unless it's to serve men's necromancy, solely because of their gender. Women are being held to an impossible standard of strict purity, meanwhile men are permitted to summon their "second body" to sin on their behalf (wild right? kind of infuriating if you think about it)

Rissa, the FMC grew up with two fathers, one from Memric and the other from Newelin, which influenced the way she grew up. She speaks her mind, is very strong headed and competent. One of her father was then abducted and thats where we meet Alex (royal family btw). He's also a Memric man, but he hasn't been able to summon his second body yet.

You can tell what an author is passionate about by how it translate into their writing. Whilst it's not hard to find books centered on magic or the queer community, it is incredibly difficult to merge both worlds into something that's cohesive and great.

The ending, however, was a little lackluster. I wish relationships were defined more, and the dynamic between the characters could develop before turning the last page. Overall, it's written beautifully and it conveyed the right emotions. If you enjoy deep thematic explorations of societal patriarchy, mystery, the nuances, then I think this book is probably your cup of tea.

[Samantha Lindberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I asked Julia to bat away anyone who read faster than me like a cat so I could be the first review. So, if you're reading this now; you lost. I won.

GOODNESS this was such a ride. The Jekyll and Hyde vibes, the lovable characters, the magic lore and deeply explored cultures and peoples! Not to mention the explorations of the immigrant experience, and women's rights. The idea of women being forced to carry other bodies in a magical, figurative way is so prescient to today's society, and such an intelligent critique on patriarchal systems. I was very very pleased with the thematic depth of this novel. As a dedicated feminist horror reader, it also had just the right amount of darkness to keep me hooked.

The characters each played their part so perfectly! It was nice to have a very gentle, friendly, and... somewhat cowardly... MMC in a dark fantasy like this, instead of the brooding, suave, and dangerous boys we're all used to! Alek was adorable and friendly and anxious and anxious and did I mention nervous? His romance and his character arc were so well thought out and his relationships with other characters, especially Rissa, were heartwarming.

Can we talk about the queer rep? So so so refreshing to have QPR representation in this space! The romance was adorable, but the platonic relationships were even better. This book, rightly, treats platonic love as exactly as fulfilling as romantic, and it is amazing and validating to read!

All in all, Julia has done an amazing job creating a complex world with deep lore and compelling characters, and I am so thankful to her and to Union Square for taking me on this journey!